A lift at the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski resort was disrupted Saturday afternoon due to mechanical failure.
In the early afternoon, skiers were stuck on the Express du Sud chair for about thirty minutes.
A mechanical breakdown detected by sensors in the lift triggered the preventive interruption, notes Hughes Leclerc, director of marketing and communications for Mont Sainte-Anne and Stoneham stations.
Mechanics from the station carried out the partial replacement and the lift resumed service shortly after 2pm. The station remained open to customers.
The nature of the interference was “absolutely normal,” said Mr. Leclerc notes. “There are procedures to be followed. We go out and change rooms as is done in all ski centres,” he says.
The incident comes less than a week after the resort reopened after being closed for nearly a month after a gondola collapsed. The Régie du bâtiment du Québec ordered the ski lifts to be suspended until start-up conditions are met.
There is no other way: Stoneham Ski Resort was also shut down Friday evening. Around this time, the mountain, operated by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, was also plunged into darkness due to a power outage.
“Ridiculous, Indecent and Dangerous”
On social networks, elected officials have criticized the difficult situation in Mont-Sainte-Anne, calling for government intervention.
“This is frankly ridiculous, indecent and dangerous. When will the François Legault government put on its suit and take over the management of the ski resort?” United deputy Etienne Grandmont wrote on Twitter.
Mont-Sainte-Anne is “an important economic engine for the region,” said Sona Lakhoyan Olivier, Liberal MP and official opposition tourism spokeswoman. “Many recent blackouts have affected local businesses. What is waiting for the government to act with leadership and transparency?”
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